Life preserver



Aug. 14, 1962 A. J. RICHARDSON 3,043,860

LIFE PRESERVER Filed Sept. 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AN DD EW J.RICHARDSON INVENTOR.

A 14, 1962 A. J. RICHARDSON 3,048,860

LIFE PRESERVER Filed Sept. 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ANDQEW J.RICHARDSON INVENTOR.

United States 3,048,860 LIFE PRESERVER Andrew J. Richardson, 227 Ave. Q,Lubbock, Tex.; Eava May Richardson, independent executrix of said AndrewJ. Richardson, deceased, assignor of one-third to Wendell Coffee FiledSept. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 842,319 3 Claims. (Cl. 9-314) This inventionpertains to life preservers for keeping people from drowning.

An object of this invention is to provide a life preserver adapted to beworn around the neck of a person so as to keep his face out of the waterat all times.

Another object of this invention is to provide a life preserver thatwill be effective to keep the wearers face out of the water even if heis unconscious.

Another object of this invention is to provide a life preserver that iscomfortable to wear and does not interfere with physical activities.

A further object of this invention is to provide a life preserver whichmay be readily reinflated if it becomes low on air.

Still further objects are to achieve the above with a device that issturdy, compact, durable, simple, and reliable, yet inexepnsive and easyto manufacture.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects, uses, andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from the following descriptionand from the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one form of this life preserver.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the preserver of FIG. 1 shown as would beworn.

FIG. 3 is a view partially broken away to show the means for inflatingthe preserver.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another modification of the lifepreserver according to this invention.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the preserver according to FIG. 4 as wouldbe worn.

FIG. 6 is a view of another modified form of this invention.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the preserver according to FIG. 6 as wouldbe worn.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of another modification according to thisinvention.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of the preserver according to FIG. 8 as itwould be worn.

The preserver, as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawin in itssimplest form, consists of a rubber tore 10 which, because of its size,is adapted to fit closely around the neck of the wearer. The preservermay be fitted over the head of the wearer when uninflated. Then when itis inflated it will tend to exp-and slightly and be even more snugaround the neck and under the chin.

The particular advantage of the preserver of this size and shape is thatit will fit under the chin of the wearer and keep his chin elevated outof the water even if the wearer is unconscious and limp.

As may be seen, the valve is built into the tore in connection with ashort tube or mouthpiece 12. The mouthpiece is mounted along one side ofthe tore. By side is meant a portion which lies in a plane or whichmight be referred to a face of the tore. Attached by cementing orotherwise to the inner surface of the life preserver is a perforatedrubber patch 14 (FIG. 3). This patch is of a size and shape so that itholds rubber ball valve 16 against the circular opening wherein the tube12 enters the tore. Thus it may be seen that if a person blows into thetube 12, that the pressure of the air will push the ball 14 away fromits seat and the air will enter through the perforations of the patch14. However, when a per- 3,048,860 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 ice son ceasesblowing, the valve will be pushed against its seat. The valve will bepushed against its seat by the combination of the elasticity of therubber of the tore and the patch 14 as well as the pressure within thetore which is greater than the atmospheric pressure.

Although the patch has been illustrated as inside the tore, equally wellthe surface of the tore itself could be an area of perforations and ahermetically sealed patch placed over this with the tube extending outof the patch. The principal concept is that there is an area on the torewhich has a double wall, the inside wall of which is perforated, theoutside wall having a filling tube extending therefrom. There being ballvalve between the two walls which is normally pressed by the elasticityof the material against the inside opening of the filling tube thusforming a valve seat.

Also it may be seen that the thickness of the inside wall is about thesame as the thickness of the outside wall; both of which are about thesame thickness as the wall of the rest of the tore. Likewise it may beseen that the tore, as far as the valve is concerned, is a hollowcontainer.

It will be understood that although the preserver is spoken of as beingmade of rubber, it could be made of any of a number of rubber-likematerial such as plastic. It is necessary that the preserver is madeair-tight and elastic.

As may be seen in normal construction, the mouthpiece will extend upwardfrom one of the faces of the tore and inward toward the axis about'whichthe tore was generated. In this manner the mouthpiece will be mouth ofthe wearer when so directly in front of the indexed. It is placed sothat it is adaptable for additional inflation of the wearer should needarise. It will be understood that the preserver will be as small aspossible to reasonably and comfortably be pulled over the head of thewearer. It would be put on in the uninflated condition and then inflatedafter it was on.

Although a specific mouthpiece and valve mechanism has been specificallydescribed, that the preserver could also be inflated by a needle piercedthrough a self-sealing area, in a method which is well known to the artfor inflating balls in sporting events such as basketballs.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified form of the invention. This primarily usesthe tore 40 which is adapted to be placed over the head of the wearer.However, there is attached to the inner part of the tore an elasticannular neck band 42. The elastic neck band is attached to the tore 40adjacent to the mouthpiece 44. The neck band serves two purposes. Firstit keeps the mouthpiece 44 indexed in front of the mouth of the wearerat all times. Second, it keeps the preserver firmly under the chin ofthe wearer. It is important with my invention that the tore fit underthe chin of the wearer so that the chin and face and mouth are heldabove water at all times.

In the modification illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 the elastic band isattached to the tore by any of a number of conventional means well knownto the art. It is attached to the inside surface of the tore adjacent tothe mouthpiece 44.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another modification. In this modification thetore is split so that it somewhat resembles a sausage. Considering thatthe definition of a tore is a conic section, usually a circle, rotatedabout an axis contained within the plane of the generating figure; itwill be seen that the mouthpiece 62 extends from the center of thisgenerating figure. Also there are two straps which are adapted to extendaround the wearer and tied around the neck. As illustrated, one strap isattached to each of the terminal of the sausage-like preserver. They areattached to the inner surface of the tore. They each are of suflicientlength to reach over half way around the neck of the wearer. As may beseen in FIG. 7, these straps are crossed immediately below the chin ofthe wearer so that they may be tied together behind the head of thewearer. Therefore they are somewhat similar to the modification of FIG.4 in that the preserver is held firmly under the chin of the wearer.Also in this case the filling tube 62 is folded back upon itself andabuts into the opposite terminal of the tore so that as worn, thepreserver has a smooth exterior surface Without the projecting fillingtube.

FIG. 8 illustrates another modification. It is similar to FIG. 6 in thatthe tore 80 is split somewhat sausagelike. Also the filling tube 82 isin the center of the generating figure and recesses into the otherterminal when Worn. However, the preserver is held together and attachedabout the neck of the wearer 'by two straps 84. These straps areattached by cementing or vulcanizing to the outer surface of oneterminal of the tore. The straps are relatively short and have aperturesat the free end thereof. These apertures are adapted to fit over buttons86 which are located upon the outer surface of the other terminal. Inwear, the terminal ends are connected together by straps which extendfrom one terminal to means for fastening or buttons located on the otherterminal.

It will be understood that the modification illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, 8and 9 have a similar valve arrangement to that illustrated in FIG. 3.

It will be apparent that the embodiments shown are only exemplary andthat various modifications can be made in construction, materials, andarrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

-1. A valve for a hollow container comprising:

(a) said container having an area with a double wall designated as anoutside wall and inside Wall,

see,

(b) a tube extending from the outside wall and entering into the spacebetween the outside wall and inside wall,

(c) the inside wall having a plurality of perforations therethrough, and

(d) a ball valve between the two walls,

(2) the inside wall being attached to the outside wall around the ball,

(1) the elasticity of the material of one of the walls normally pressingthe ball valve against the inside opening of the tube, thus forming avalve seal for the ball valve, and

(g) the outside wall being attached to the normal wall of the remainderof the container.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein:

(it) the outside wall is about the same thickness as the inside wall.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wheerin:

(h) the outside wall is about the same thickness as the inside wallwhich (i) is about the same thickness as the normal wall of theremainder of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,225,023 Foote May 8, 1917 1,997,955 Weaver June 16, 1935 2,085,369Kilborn June 29, 1937 2,210,809 Gray Aug. 6, 1940 2,710,623 Kolos June14, 1955 2,890,467 Cowell June 16, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 358,661 GreatBritain Oct. 15, 1931 707,289 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1954

